a. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to a system and apparatus for sanitizing a point of contact for multiple persons. More specifically, this disclosure relates to a system and apparatus for sanitizing a surface of a door opening device, an elevator control panel, an automatic teller machine, or another point of contact.
b. Background Art
Doorknobs, other door opening devices, and other points of contact for large groups of people, such as automatic teller machines (ATMs) and elevator buttons or control panels, can be involved in the spread of communicable germs. In hospitals, germs communicated through points of contact can lead to increased patient sickness. In an office environment, germs communicated through points of contact can lead to sick employees and lost productivity. In public spaces, germs communicated through points of contact can lead to a sick populace and spread of disease.
The effect of germs spread through points of contact can be significantly reduced by sterilizing or sanitizing the surface of the point of contact periodically, such as after each use of the point of contact. There is therefore a need for a system and apparatus to sanitize point-of-contact surfaces to eliminate one or more of the problems described above.